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J. 0. LEFFINGWELL. WASHING MACHINE.

No. 401,357. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.4

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet J. Q. LEFPINGWE'LL.

WASHING MACHINE.

No 401,357. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN QUINCY LEFFINGYVELL, OF NEVADA, IOWA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 401,357, dated April16, 1889. Application filed August 4, 1888. Serial No. 281,995. onmodel.)

To all whom it may concern: 7,

Be it known that I, JOHN QUINCY LEFFING- WELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Nevada, in the county of Story and State of Iowa,have invented new and useful Improvements in lashing-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

It is my object to provide a simple, cheap, durable, andetfectivemaohine wherein the movement on the operating-handle isvertical;

and the invention consists in a certain novel construction andcombination of devices, fully described hereinafter in connection withthe accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appendedclaim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the washer embodyingmy improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the washer on the line asa: of Fig. 2.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the tub onbody of thewasher, which is provided with the legs or standards a a, and on one endof the tub at its upper edge is arranged a vertical strip or flange, R,on which is adapted to be placed a wringer of any preferred form. Theends a. a of this body are inclined inward toward their upper edges, andthe vertical sides a a are arranged vertically and are drawn tightlyagainst the extremities of the ends a by the bolts a a The bottom of thetub is covered on the inside with a lining of zinc or similar material.On outwardlyextending spindles b b on opposite sides of the tub aremounted the operating-levers B B, and the lower ends of these levers areconnected to opposite ends of the plunger 0 by the arms 0 c. Thisplunger consists of a flat board or plate having perforations throughoutits surface; and it is further provided at its ends with therearwardly-extending rigid arms 0 c, which are pivoted to the lower endsof the operating-levers. In

suitable bearings or eyes, 07, d, at the rear end of the tub is mountedthe rock-shaft D, (the portion of the shaft between the bearings beingsquared) and E represents the handle, which consists of the curved orangle arms 6 e and the hand-bar 6', connecting the outer ends of thesaid arms.

The inner ends of the said curved or angle arms are provided with squareeyes e e which fit on the squared portion of the rock-shaft.Intermediate points of these curved or angle arms are connected to theupper ends of the operating-levers by means of the connectiug-rods F F.

A small bracket, G, having an eye, g, is arranged on the rock-shaft at asuitable point, and to this eye is attached the upper end of acontractile spring, H, the lower end of which is attached to the upperend of an adjusting bolt, K, which passes through a projecting edge, 70,of the bottom of the tub, and is engaged by a suitable nut, L. The armof the bracket having the eye 9 is arranged on the inner side of therock-shaft, and therefore the tension of the spring thereon holds thehandle raised, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

When the handle is in its raised or normal position, the levers B B areinclined, as shown in Fig. 2, and their lower ends are opposite thecenter of the plunger, thereby causing the arms 0 c to maintain ahorizontal and the plunger a vertical position. As the handle isdepressed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.

the lower ends of the levers swing down below the center of the plunger,and therefore incline the latter, causing its lower edge to bear firstagainst the clothes. As the handle approaches the limit of its downwardmotion, the plunger gradually returns to its vertical position.Therefore it willbe seen that the pressure of the plunger begins at theclothes which are close to the bottom of the tub and presses upward,thereby slightly turning them, and this motion being continued.eventually brings all the clothes in the tub into a position to bepressed directly by the plunger. The plunger rides at its lower edge onsuit able tracks, M M, at the bottom of the tub, to

prevent wearing the said bottom.

It will be observed that the motion of the outer end of the handle ismainly vertical, and after being depressed by the operator it isimmediately returned to its elevated or nor mal position by the spring,the tension of which may be regulated at will. It is obvious that theupward movement of the handle when no spring is employed is the moretiresome, and less, power can be applied in this way; but when a springis employed to accomplish the upward movement all the strength of theoperator may be devoted to the downward movement.

Having thus described the invention, I claim-- In a Washing-machine, thecombination, With the tub, the plunger arranged therein, and theoperating-levers B B, connected to the plunger, of the rock-shaftprovided With a 'laterally-projectin g bracket, G, having an eye,

9, the tension-spring connected to the said bracket, for the purposespecified, and the hand-lever comprising the curved or angle JOHN QUINCYLEFFINGWELL.

Witnesses:

CURTIS A. WOOD, H. L. OANELL.

